It's the night before Christmas and you might think that you and your family are safe
and snug in your beds, but if you think that no one is stirring, not even a mouse, you're
sadly mistaken. The truth is that Christmas Eve is the one time of year when you're in
the most danger from America's longest-running fugitive, the midnight prowler known
as "Santa Claus."

Despite being single-handedly responsible for a centuries-long crime spree, Santa Claus has never been
successfully taken into custody, nor has a security camera ever taken any pictures that could be
positively identified as being his.
At least in part, this is because Santa's crimes are always committed under the cover
of night on a major holiday, and because he has always targeted private residences
instead of business establishments.

Based on the few eyewitness accounts of Santa Claus in action, the FBI has constructed
this composite sketch:

sketch by forensic artist Alice B. (age 7)

name

Santa Claus

D.O.B.

unknown

race

elfin-American

distinguishingcharacteristics

described by witnesses as "jolly"

known aliases

Kris KringleFather ChristmasSaint Nick

One of our investigators was able to locate one of Santa Claus' accomplices who has
accompanied him on several of these annual raids. On the condition that his identity not be
revealed, he was willing to speak to one of our reporters.

We will refer to our informant only as "Reindeer X."

"Reindeer X"

"I'm one of the newest of Santa's recruits, so I couldn't tell you much about his earlier raids,
but my guess is that his tactics haven't changed much. He's pretty set in his ways."

"Why am I spilling the beans on Santa? Because it's got to be told. ...and I still feel like
a misfit in Santa's private air force. Oh, sure, the other reindeer won't come out and say anything,
but they still don't invite me to join in any reindeer games."

"So far as I know, he doesn't case the
houses first. It's like he's got a sixth sense or something, ...he just knows where to land,
how to get in without getting caught, whether the owners have been naughty or nice...."

"He gets in through the fireplace. I don't know how he does it, but that's probably what he's
counting on, that nobody would think someone would just pop down the chimney, right into
their living rooms."

"Everybody locks their doors and even their windows these days, but have you
ever heard of anybody thinking to lock their chimneys?"

"No one is safe."

"...even those gas fireplaces with fake ceramic logs don't slow him down more than a
second or two."

"...when he's gotten what he came for, he just lays a finger aside of his nose, gives a nod, and up the
chimney he goes."

"It's not natural, I tell you."

"By the time anyone's stirring, even a mouse, it's too late. Santa will already be flying out of sight,
exclaiming:

'Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'"

"Sheesh. What nerve."

"Santa can clean a place out in under a minute. Doesn't matter what it is: cookies, brownies,
even milk and cake. Once he's into your house, it's as good as gone."

"The fact is, there's not much the police or even the FBI can do. Before they know what's
happened, Santa will have crossed the border into international airspace. Even his secret
stronghold--hidden somewhere near the North Pole--is outside of any nation's jurisdiction."

If you have any information that might lead to the arrest and conviction of Santa Claus or
any other fugitive from justice, send it in along with whatever cash and credit cards you have in
your wallet.

(Just trust us on the wallet part. It's for your own protection.Really.)

Next week onAmerica's Most Wanton Unsolved Mysteries:

The Tooth Fairy:Are any of our internal organs truly safe while he remains at large?